‘True Blood’ Renewed For Season 5; Plot Details Revealed [Updated]

Update (8/11): True Blood has officially been renewed for a fifth season. Look below for a press release regarding this announcement.

Love it or hate it, HBO’s hit vampire series True Blood shows no signs of slowing down – especially now that show creator Alan Ball announced today that he has just signed a new contract with HBO for another season.

Speaking at the True Blood panel for the summer Television Critics Association press tour, Ball laid to rest the rumors that fans have been spreading about True Blood coming to an end. Following True Blood season 2’s premiere, HBO quickly renewed the series for a third and fourth season. With that move, fans began to speculate whether or not season 4 would be his last.

Making his intentions clearer than ever, Ball stated, “I have no desire to leave. Doing the show is more fun than anything else I’ve ever done.”

Even though Ball’s contract renewal means that True Blood will almost certainly return for a fifth season, HBO has yet to officially announce its plans to renew the fan favorite series for another season. That being said, fans should take Balls announcement as a sign that the series will continue.

To add fuel to the proverbial fire, Ball also revealed that the writers are already working on stories for True Blood season 5. While Ball wouldn’t go into much detail, he did say that one of the stories would include viewers seeing how one of the vampires was made.

Updated: HBO has officially renewed True Blood for a fifth season. Below you’ll find a press release of the announcement.

HBO has renewed the hit show TRUE BLOOD for a 12-episode fifth season, it was announced today by Michael Lombardo, president, HBO Programming. Created by Alan Ball, the series will begin production of new episodes later this year in Los Angeles, with debut set for summer 2012.

“I am thrilled that TRUE BLOOD continues to enjoy a phenomenal reception from both subscribers and critics,” noted Lombardo. “Alan Ball and his gifted team have devised the greatest thrill ride on TV.”

“I remain amazed and delighted by the enthusiasm of our viewers,” says Ball. “I can’t imagine having more fun than this.”

Mixing romance, suspense, mystery and humor, the Emmy®-nominated show takes place at a time when vampires have come out of the coffin, and follows the on-and-off romance between waitress and part-faerie Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), who can hear people’s thoughts, and 173-year-old vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer). Series creator Alan Ball (creator of the Emmy®-winning HBO series “Six Feet Under”) is also an executive producer of the show, which is based on the bestselling Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris.

Following the disastrous third season, which was rampant with poor character arcs and a compete mishandling of the series’ ever-growing cast, fans were more than worried about what they might see as the fourth season began.

As True Blood settles in its pseudo-soap opera nature, many fans are beginning to wonder whether the series has become too fantastical. With vampires, witches, gods, ghosts, shapeshifters, werewolves, werepanthers and fairies (phew!), the series, as it currently stands, is much more “grandiose” than when it humbly began.

Of course, that can be said for many series. As shows progress with age, the storylines and characters tend to grow – and it’s typical for them to lose some of the audience that originally trumpeted a premiere. With Ball only slightly basing each season of True Blood on the books, we’ll just have to wait and see how the series makes its transition into season 5.

If anything, we can at least look forward to Russell Edgington’s return, as Denis O’Hare has already stated that the producers intend to bring his character back at the beginning of the fifth season.

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Bree3 years ago

YAY!!! I cant wait, I also can’t wait to see how they end season 4. Who the hell is Maurella? and I kinda figured we weren’t totally done with Marnie. Too easy, and swift. Plus it’s only episode 11. XD

I loved how Sookie, looked at Bill and Eric in absolute disgust at the end of episode 11. It’s time Sookie gave up these ruthless cold hearted Vamps! I will stop watching if she doesn’t hook up with warm blooded Alcide. Nah… True Blood is one of the only Tv shows in which I absolutely love every single character and the music soundtrack just takes me away! Wow I can’t wait for the finale but I also don’t want it to end! Why can’t there be 22 episodes in one season?

At the end of the fourth season there is a scene where Alcide is in a parking garage, and there is mashed up concrete. Not only is there a hole in the ground, but the construction worker was glamored. That is obviously, Russell being released from the concrete grave in which he was placed in back in Season 3. I feel it’s too soon for him to return, but whatever, as long as the storyline of the show continues, I’m with it. My question is, is Marianne returning? What’s the deal on her? I thought she was gone for good? Also, is Terry really dangerous? Renee returns with the rest of the ghosts to warn Arlene about Terry! So many questions. Anyways, great show! I’ve loved it since the beginning. It’s toned down a bit since the first season when it comes to the sex scenes, but still a mad fan :).

So i wanna know when is season 5 going to come out? I love “True Blood”. It is my favorite show ever, when it was over i was like OHH NOOO! Haha. I got two questions.. Is sookie going to be with Eric or Bill ? I think she should be with Bill cause they love eachother, and my other question is, is jessica gonna be jason? i think they should cause they’re so cute togetherr =)

I think it would be pretty cool to at least see sookie with both of them, cause remember she was fantasizing being with both of them at the same time… but I think she should at least at least be with alcide one time and then idk maybe something happends were he finally understands he isnt meant to be with her and moves on… He Is One Sexy Man 😉 Id Totally Tap That 😀

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this show . I stay home every Sunday night to watch it . It sucks that we have to wait such a long time for the new season though . I’m so excited to see it ! I think Season 4 def went out with a bang !!!!!! AMAZING SHOW WITH AN AMAZING CAST . I’m obsessed with Eric <33333

I just hope Sookie doesn’t end up with Alcide. I like him and he’s handsome, but the show is called True Blood . It is based off vampires and ultimately, I would prefer Eric or Bill as her lead lover. Sorry, I am quite the romantic. Plus, Sookie is with Eric for the books right. Yes, Alan Ball has a different story going on compared to the books, but what fun and purpose would Sookie be to vampires if she was involved with Alcide?? Also, please bring back Jesus and don’t kill off Tara. Season 5 cannot come soon enough!!

What are Alcide’s needs exactly? I honestly have no clue b/c the only one who has been vocal about needs is Debbie. We know that she wanted pups, we know that she needed community with a pack, we know that she wanted Alcide to be faithful to her and to avoid Sookie. Yes Debbie did bad things, but Alicide didn’t need to take her back if she was such a bad person. He had a choice. The only thing I gathered from Alcide is that he didn’t want Debbie to feel jealous of Sookie. And he understandably wanted to freelance b/c of what had happened in the past with their old pack. But that pack had been tempted by vampire influence. So it makes less sense for Alcide to become involved with Sookie yet again b/c that girl is all about “vampire business.” Debbie had reason to feel jealous b/c Alcide lied to her about seeing Sookie and he seemed to break up with her only to shortly confess his feelings for Sookie. So it makes it seem like his concern for Sookie throughout his relationship with Debbie was beyond the level of friendship. Essentially, he was emotionally cheating on Debbie.

Also, it’s possible that Debbie was pregnant with Alcide’s pups when she was shot. In the 11th episode, she seemed to hold her stomach in a suggestive manner when Alcide broke up with her. Maybe she was pregnant but wouldn’t tell Alcide b/c she knew he didn’t want children.

Yeah, I totally undesrtand where you are comming from about Alcide not saying what he wanted… And yeah Debbie voiced her needs… But she pestered him with them always this is what I want I dont care about your worries or anything this is for me blah blah… and I totally undesrstand were Alcides character is comming from to he wouldnt want to put his children through all the burdens he had to go through with being a wolf… and I do believe they would have been better off being freelance because it has always seemed to only bring trouble that is the second lead wolf in a pack that she has cheated on Alcide with… And I am happy that he killed Marcus character he was a bad man… and she lied to Alcide so many times… and she shouldnt have been worried about Alcide and Sookie Cause I think Sookie told her that she didnt like Alcide that way even if Alcide did like her like that he would have eventually gaven up or something… and if she wasnt happy with what he was doing she should have left him and not gone with Marcus and slept with him and tried to kill Sookie again… you know… I am not trying to start a debate this is a great show and sometimes people have different oppinions and views on these kind of things even though it is a show

It’s much more clear in the books just how crazy Debbie is… And u get a better insight into the hell that alcide went through for her… I think they kind of shorted this storyline and twisted it a bit too much, but you still get the main idea of what was goin on

I’m not really interested in any of Sookie’s suitors, especially Alcide. It seems like he broke up with Debbie just so he could express his feelings for Sookie.

I look forward to Sookie being in different relationships, as is seen in the books. My guess is for season 5 she’ll be solo for a while which is good. You shouldn’t be afraid to be alone, as her Gran said.

Also, didn’t they already kill like two or three major characters (i.e. Tommy, Debbie and Jesus)? So I don’t think Tara is really dead. They said they were only going to kill maybe two people, so most likely Tara will be turned into a vampire. I think she could still be alive, but severely damaged due to the shot to the head.

You can’t kill her after she yet again risks her life for Sookie. That’s just mean. And Jesus was a really good guy. I didn’t like that he died. Most likely he’ll come back as a spirit guide of sorts. But poor Laffy to lose his first on-show bf. I guess it gives Laffy an opportunity to love again. But like in Tara’s situation, and Arlene’s to some extent, he’s not given a chance to have a peaceful end to a relationship. The opportunity is just taken away from him. He doesn’t have a choice like for other characters like Sookie and Jessica.

No that is not the reason he broke up with Debbie lol… she was cheating on him with Marcus… she wanted to always go behind his back because she felt that he wasnt giving her enough… but what she failed to relize why should he give her so much so fast… she screwed him over once and he still gave her another chance and yet she does it again you know… and then she tries to kill Sookie 2x now… its just craziness… and yes I do agree with you about layfette and Tara and Jesus and them that season was just so crazy and suspensful!

I think Debbie did the same thing Alcide did, which was emotional cheating. We have no evidence that she ever slept with Marcus. They were on the bed together in a suggestive pose, but neither was completely naked.

I feel like Marcus was just trying to capitalize on the situation by taking a new woman and keeping his daughter permanently.

I don’t think she was asking for too much too fast. They have a great deal of history together, even if she hasn’t always been faithful to him. I think they’ve known each other since they were kids, so I don’t think she’s asking for too much at all. And we don’t know how old these two are, so regarding fertility even human women cannot wait forever to have kids.

I could understand him being hesitant b/c of previous hurt, but again he had a choice in whether or not to resume his relationship with Debbie. If he didn’t intend on having a long-term commitment with her he shouldn’t have taken her back. She obviously wanted big things that he was unwilling to give her. Debbie loved Alcide. She kept telling Marcus that she loved him, but she requires a lot of support and reassurance.

Alcide knows this. So while I don’t pardon Debbie for her cheating, I also am not on Alcide’s side.

Yeah Yeah for sure I understand… but while they were on the bed Debbie and Marcus… Marcus quoted “Im not just some payback F**k” or something of that sort… and I mean yeah he had his choice on taking her back… but he does love her too… but wouldnt you get tiered of the person you love cheating on you? even if its not proven and we didnt see the evidence… he must of figured out she was never going to change… and hes not going to change her mind either it was both of there choices to either leave or stay… and he decided to end it

As far as her confronting Sookie though, I don’t condone that. I agree that she was in a crazed state. Clearly she was not in her right mind, but I think it makes sense if she feels Alcide is her life and suddenly he abjures her. That’s breaking up on a whole ‘nother level.

I think it would be truely great to bring Tara back… somehow… like make sookie magicaly bring her back some how I think that would be great… there has been a lot of loss in this last season… Especially with Layfette and Jesus that was so sad :'( diffinatly made me cry its honestly the best show I have ever seen in my life and I totally give you guys props. on catching the viewers attention… But I think that it would be cool to either bring tara back somehow or find layfette a new man somehow… I dont know everything is great I just feel that with all the loss that Layfette has gone through he shouldnt lose someone else…. But jesus and layfette was the best couple yet that I have seen on the show good job guys deffinatly a 10 on my scale

I think a lot of people are forgetting about the “witches.” Tara and or Jesus could be brought back from the witches as they can resurrect the dead as we saw Marnie do with the dead bird. Also the magic that was taken out of Jesus and put into Marnie/Lafayette could possibly be in Lafayette now which leaves him with a lot of power, enough power to bring someone back from the dead. So that is a big possibility as well. Also at the end when they showed Alcide picking up the chains from the hole in the cement in the parking lot that was a clear sign that Russell has returned. I’m not too worried about Jesus and Tara as I feel they will both be in season 5, Tara especially. There’s no way that Lafayette will loose the only 2 people he cares about most. The only questions I have is what was the deal with Maurella banging bellefleur? Was it to become pregnant so she can have a half human/half fairy baby? And if so then why? And nice twist with the warning about Terry from Rene….curious to see what that is all about. There’s another thing I’ve always been curious about as well, and that’ Arlene’s baby. We all know that her and Terry did sleep together when they were under the spell from Marianne, so the possibility is still there that it is in deeds Terry’s baby and not Rene’s. A lot to look forward to in season 5 and a lot of questions to be answered. I can’t wait!! It SUCKS that we have to wait a whole 9 months for the return :(. I swear, the seasons should be longer so there isn’t such a huge gap in between. It could cause a loss of viewers. I won’t be on of them though, hell no!!!

P.S. As for the whole sookie, Bill and Eric thing I’m glad she left them both. She keeps picturing herself when she’s old and with grand babies. That’s clearly not going to happen with either one of them. She might hook up with Alcide, but if she does I don’t see it lasting there either

I kind of wonder if tara and debbie getting shot is one ofsookies visions of what could happen and if not who will be byher side first eric or bill. and will lafyette put a spell on russell to kill him for good

True Blood has stepped up. I agree that it went really downhill during the third season. Thankfully, the writers redeemed themselves with the fourth season. The last episode of the fourth season had more (cool) twist and turns than the entire third season. However, I don’t like the Russel Edgington story at all, he was just annoying. So I hope for his comeback to be short in the fifth season. Without revealing too much, anyone who’s seen the final episode of season four knows that another person from the third season has come back. With two of the main characters of season three returning, I am worried for the fifth season on beforehand. Hopefully the writers know how much more appreciated the fourth season is in comparisson with the third.

I’m glad Tara is gone. I never liked her. But Jezus??? Why do they gotta kill off all the cute ones? Based on Stephen Moyer’s hints for season 5, I think they are going to follow the book and bring in the were tiger. Especially now that Alcide is up for packmaster. It will follow the line story well. Oooh I think Tyrese should do it. He is tall dark and handsome. I think he would be perfect.

one thing that is really bugging me is how Jason Stackhouse has moved on so quickly from his traumatising ordeal?? and why did he not report it?? also i preferred when bill was not king he was sexier and eric should be on screen as much as was in season 4 by far best series 😀

I have to say that I was disappointed with most of season 4. I have read the books before I saw the show, and I was enjoying seasons 1-2 because the pretty much followed the storyline of the books, with some extra stuff thrown in here and there. But season 3 was very confusing and this season I felt was a lot less structured than in the book. I prefer Jason being turned into a were-panther and I liked in the books how the weres helped the vamps battle the witches. Just sayin..I know AB has his own rendition of things but when i read comments, I think a huge number of us are book-readers who started watching the series because we wanted to see what would happen visually..and some of us are disappointed…

As Charlaine Harris had said several time and so Alan Ball, the show is NOT film version of the book. Is based on the book, with creative liberties they can do whatever they want. Charlaine like the show herself, as she said, it would be lame be able to predict, like in Harry Potter, everything that’s going to go down before the show even starts. The books and the show are totally different things period.

I have to disagree on the lame comment even if Charlaine Harris thinks the same thing. People that read books want what they know played out on screen. We dont go to see what changes have been made. We go to see the story we know and love played out with real people and good effects. That will never change. The series would be better, much better, for fans of the books AND fans of the show, if AB would stick closer to the books.

The Harry Potter movies are so successful BECAUSE they are good reditions of the source material.

Lord of the Rings is another. The movies stay true to the source material and that is what made the movies GREAT.

You can’t compare Harry potter and true blood. Movies are supposed to be exactly like the books, even though sometimes they aren’t. It’s just a visual version of the books…

True blood is completely different because they can do whatever they want and they are doing it amazingly. Just because you liked the books doesn’t mean anything. If they made the show just like the books it wouldn’t be nearly as good because everyone would know what was going to happen next. A show can’t be like that and continue to air.

i must say that im a book reader but didnt know that this was based on books and i love the show i look forward to each new season and have gotten several others hooked including my husband but now im tempted to read the books on a diferent level i will seperate between th series and the books

I honestly have to say I liked harry potter in the begging but it kinda got lame because I already knew what was going to happen.. So i think its a good thing that they didnt follow every step for true blood books into the show… that wouldnt be fun and exciting because we would already know what would happen… so I think they did a good job not following on that

I agree with y’all I love most of the changes the series has made especially Jessica and Lafayette surviving ,but Bill being king…. That just irritates me. I do see the reasoning for the director to go that way it brings a whole new dimension to the love triangle…. But Bill was kind of the lamest vampire ever in the books and I liked that “attainable” version of Bill better.

Awesome season, and series so far! I have read the books as well, and I do agree with ‘Kay’ to some degree; but I like that Alan Ball has his own agenda and I think that TV series’ that are based on books are an interptetation of whoever is directing the series, and they have the right to play around as to sort of fix things in their own mind. I was not too thrilled about Russell coming back, but am excited to see why…

who cares about the books, russel, tara, jesus… wake up everybody, now it’s official, there’s eric and bill running for sookie and playing good guys, i.e., can’t hurt one another… hehehehehehehehe :))))))

ok season 4 was amaz-balls. but i really hated the fact that they used the marnie character for way too long. it was like when in season 2 maryann was like a freakin sponge that kept soaking up all the attention. In the book she wasn’t really even a big deal( maryann). I also know a lot of people are forgetting that this director and cast knows very well that most of the fans are avid book readers to the series. So alan ball will purposly run off the track and not follow the books occasionaly, thats how he keeps his viewers suspensed. I really hope they don’t make russell a main focus of season 5 and/or cray cray steve newlin. An assumption to us book followers is that quinn will be in the 5 season, and i hate him already. sookie and eric are eventualy the whole main focus of charlaine harris’s genius series.

oh and ps. don’t forget that lafayette has jesus’s powers now. when marnie was hosting his body she took jesus’s powers and killed him by doing so, even jesus hinted that to layfayette when he saw his ghost.

Loved Season 4! I hope Tara isn’t dead. Maybe Lafayette can heal her like he healed Jesus down in Mexico from the snake bite. Otherwise I think it would be interesting for Eric or Bill to have to turn her into a vampire to save her. Tara as a vamp would be interesting. I hated that Jesus got killed! Him and Lafayette were such a cute couple! I hope Jesus is in season 5 as a ghost. Poor Lala. He finally found his true love and it ended so violently. At least Tara can help him (if she survives). I am ready for Sookie’s witch friend Amelia to make an appearance and to see Hadley again (possibly with her as a vampire). I LOVE Jason and Jessica together. I feel so sorry for Hoyt and I hope something interesting is done with him in season 5. I would love to see more of Pam’s origins. Hopefully she is the vampire we will get to see more about next season. And more Eric please! he wasn’t onscreen enough for me in season 4.

I think Holly is already replacing Amelia, how I see it. They’re not going to use all the books characters or giving them a similar plot. To start, Maryann Forester didn’t exist in the book, was Callisto the menead who showed up in the beginning and in the end of the 2nd book and she didn’t even had much lines. Neither Sam’s family (not in the way they were portrayed) or his SOB little brother. I think Hoyt will slowly fade away or he can become one of those vampire haters.

I was thinking the same thing. I know both Holly and Amelia are in the book, but like everyone keeps pointing out the show doesn’t really follow the book. Which sometimes I wish they would, but there are times I’m happy they don’t.

ok. sssooo Jason is totaly going to get the krap kicked out of him by the rev. and then jessica will have to turn him into a vamp to save him and they’l live happily ever after. Then Sookie will wake up from her bad dream and realise debbie and tara are alive still. Jesus will reasume his bruho magic and it wil resurect him and he and lafy will live happily ever after, then bill and eric will hunt down russ, eric will die, bill will kill russ and be redeemed by the ava and go home to bon temps where he and sook live happily ever after. Terry is fine, and will live with arlene for the rest of their days, HAPPILY EVER AFTER!!!…….. NOT

I’m glad that the season finale was a big cliffhanger, it sucks we have to wait another year for the 5th season. Since they’re basing the show loosely on the books I can’t foresee anything but my own expeculation about 5th season. Tara won’t die, she either will be saved by Lafayette with his new powers (although he doesn’t know how to use them) or she’ll be rushed into a hospital and she’ll be incapacitated somehow (I mean, Debbie blew her skull) she can end up blind, mute, in a wheelchair or all of it.

Since Queen Sophie Ann is out of the picture yet Russell is back… and as far as we know nobody except Bill, Eric, Alcide, Sookie AND Pam knew where he was buried so I want to believe Pam had a hand in this but would she betray his maker in that way?

Nan Flanagan (she won’t be missed) mentioned several times how she was fighting the factions within the high hierarchy of vampires, those vampires who wishes anonymity and against the public vampires and human happily coexisting. The AVL and authority order Eric and Bill to be put to death so now that possibly those factions may had brought back Russell and certainly they sound like 5th season enemy, good vampires vs bad vampires. How the hell they’re going to deal with a 3,001 years old Russell? I’m dying to see how that plots develop!

I think this season we’ll be back to Werewolfs and Quinn, I hope, be introduced and certainly it would make sense for him to show up now that Sookie is fully available. Quinn, for you who haven’t read the 5th book, is a handsome Weretiger, if you thought Alcide was hot… I won’t spoil the book but he’s a great character and I believe Charlaine Harris would like Vin Diesel to play him.

Well, last but not least, the Faeries and Werepanthers were put on a hold. I don’t see Crystal and the gang back but Maurella the fairy most likely will come back with Andy’s child, since Andy swear to the light he’ll protect her most likely that will include their offspring too. How fairies will be relevant in 5th season after quick glimpse of Faerie land and humans abduction and that abrupt end of Claudine is certainly unknown.

It could mean that at the end of season 4 it was a nightmare sookie was having. it was weird that alot of people really didn’t died till the end of the season, personality i think it was too many deaths of good characters. As for Terry and his military friend coming back, looks like it could be that terry was gay or experimenting with men when his friend was like you have a wife. lol. who knows? plus, the minster of the light is a vampire lol at jasons door, great. everyones getting ****** and now I am since i have to wait 9 more months. another strange thing was the panther people are gone? alot of fairies where in the beginning and now there slowly coming back. i can only wonder what happens next. HBO needs to sign them on ahead of time like 2 season ahead so the wait doesn’t have to be so long.

I’m curious who the wolf was that was about to attack Sam? I also got confused on why Rene manifested himself to warn Arlene about Terry’s past. Does that mean Rene is coming back as a good character in season 5? I think Lafayette is going to be forced to choose between saving his sister’s life or his boyfriend Jesus’s life with the magic Marnie left behind in him. Bill and Eric are going to have a tough time fighting the Authority. Season 5 is too far away! They should have a 4 episode teaser stretched out over the next 9 months to keep viewers interested. Also make the season opener and season finally 2 hours long each! There’s never too much True Blood!